


Move Along

by Trash



Category: Linkin Park
Genre: Hybrid Theory days, Infidelity, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 10:24:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash/pseuds/Trash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike has to take a moment to wonder if Brad was always this blind</p>
            </blockquote>





	Move Along

1.

Mike tries to remember when it really started. Back when they were Hybrid Theory, maybe. Or perhaps it was when they first set eyes on each other. Chester keeps these things close to him and Brad just doesn’t talk to Mike any more other than to tell him to fuck off. He has Chester now – what would he need Mike for?

Remembers walking into the studio and finding Brad slumped on the couch with Chester’s head in his lap. He looked up like it was nothing, but Mike can’t remember Brad ever being that cuddly with anybody in the past unless he was doing them in private. He cornered him later saying “Are you and Chester...”

“No.” Was the flat reply and they never spoke about it again after that.

2.

When they see the RV they all do a double take.

“Double beds?” Joe asks in a blank voice.

“I am not sharing a bed with any of you guys,” Dave hisses and narrows his eyes at Brad, “certain people have no concern for personal hygiene.”

Rob laughs, “Word.”

Chester glances around before piping up cheerfully “I’ll share with Brad.” He grabbed the guitarist’s hand with a giggle and dragged him to the double bed at the back of the RV, flopping down on it and pulling Brad beside him.

Mike thinks they can’t possibly notice that he’s watching them because, after a moment of lying side-by-side, Brad rolls over and rests his head on Chester’s stomach and the singer reaches down to play with the younger man’s hair.

3.

“Hey Chaz? Are you and Brad…you know…doing it?”

“What do you think, Mike?”

4.

“Hey, Brad?”

“Fuck you, Mike.”

 

5.

They share a hotel room on tour. Mike is having one-of-those-days and needs, more than anything, to just talk to Brad. The way they used to before he and Chester became an unofficial item. He pads across the hall and knocks on their door softly, jamming his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels patiently.

The door opens a crack and Chester’s face appears. Blushing brightly and his hair a mess he hides behind the door and looks out at Mike, confused. “What?”

“Is Brad there,” He pauses and shakes his head rapidly “Are you guys having sex?”

Chester’s face turns to stone and he glares coldly, “I have a wife.”

Mike shrugs “So?”

Chester looks like he might argue for a minute but then Brad appears, dragging him away from the door and ushering him into the bathroom. Mike raises an eyebrow in irritation and watches as his friend shuffles back to the door, opening it all the way and smiling apologetically, “He was in the shower...it isn’t what it looks like.”

In the background he hears Chester mutter something that he doesn’t catch but Brad obviously does because he ends up doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks. Another little in joke, Mike thinks, like they used to have in high school.

Brad is so busy laughing he doesn’t notice Mike swallow down a bitter wave of jealousy and disappear across the hall into the room he’s sharing with Dave.

6.

Mike marries Anna to make the jealousy stop. And it does for a little while, but then he catches Brad and Chester sitting next to each other at the reception, Brad whispering in his ear and making him laugh loudly and choke on the champagne he tries to take a sip of.

He makes fists at his sides and hunts out his new wife. Finds her, eventually, and she asks “Have you seen Chester?”

After that he turns to champagne and lets the bubbles drown his sorrows.

7

That September, Brad marries Elisa which surprises everyone. Especially Chester who, even though he’s married himself, looks slightly disappointed all the way through the ceremony but soon schools his expression into one of joy as he hugs Brad and murmurs “congratulations, dude,” in his ear. His lips are too close and the hug is too long but nobody seems to notice but Mike.

He was the best man and had to force himself not to look smug. He had more than expected Brad to pick Chester and almost did a song and dance when the guitarist approached him with a shy smile saying “Would you do me a huge favour?”

8

He found out later that Brad had only asked him because Chester had declined the offer.

9

At more than one award ceremony Chester gets wasted and kisses Brad. On the mouth. With tongue. Right there in front of Sam and Elisa and it’s fine, apparently, because it’s all in good fun. Mike watches their wives’ reactions carefully, frowning when they smile and giggle with each other.

“This is how we met,” Sam laughs, “he was drunk and he came up and kissed me and told me he was going to marry me some day.”

Mike isn’t sure if she’s joking or not because that sounds so much like something Chester would do.

10.

It’s four in the morning when Brad turns up on his door step in tears and reeking of alcohol and Mike says “What the fuck?”

Brad tries to reply but he’s so drunk all he can do is slur incoherently. Mike manages to catch “I’m so sorry” and something that sounds like it might have been a curse followed by Chester’s name but he isn’t sure. He helps his friend inside and lets him lie down on the couch. He helps him remove his shoes and his jacket and grabs a glass of water, setting it down on the coffee table.

“What happened?”

“’e wan’ed to fuck me.” Brad mumbles and rolls onto his stomach, burying his face in the couch cushion.

“Chester?”

The guitarist just nods and Mike has to take a moment to wonder if Brad was always this blind.

11.

Brad and Chester don’t speak much after that. Tabloids go mad and rumours fly and Chester tries and tries to make peace with him but it never quite happens. More and more Mike finds himself sharing a hotel room with Chester when they tour and answering the phone at all times of the day to hear his voice down the line.

He tries his hardest to ignore the looks Brad gives him and the way Chester spits out his name like it’s dirt and reminds himself that they’re not in high school any more. They’re adults now and Mike thinks it’s time they all got over it and moved on.

He goes to explain his train of thought to Chester but he notices Brad watching from afar, jealousy painted across his face, and changes his mind.


End file.
